Identify a Framework

When establishing your organization’s cybersecurity and compliance programs, no organization should start empty-handed. There are a wide range of security processes, procedures, and tools an organization can adopt to bolster its security but choosing which to adopt can be a frustrating exercise. There are often also legal and regulatory requirements to adopt and comply with such standards.  It is critical to follow an industry-accepted framework to ensure a comprehensive program is developed. Thankfully, frameworks are available for almost every industry and service to help organizations develop comprehensive security practices.

Security, privacy, and compliance frameworks provide top-level and ground-level guidance to help organizations decide what security mechanisms to implement, and how to implement them. The first step is to identify the framework that best fits your organization. If you store, process, or transmit, federal-state agency data, your agency customers will require that you comply with NIST CMMC (based on NIST 800-171). ISO 27001 is a commonly adopted information security standard for organizations that serve European customers and U.S. based fortune 1000 companies. Does your organization store or process protected health information?  HIPAA compliance is a requirement for any organization that does so.  Combining several different frameworks may be necessary to comply with all the organization’s requirements, but these frameworks are a great starting tool to begin drafting your security plans. Walking through framework guidance and controls with your key stakeholders is the first step towards security and compliance.

For more information about how you can protect your organization’s sensitive data with a scalable, framework-based approach, let’s have a conversation.